The following invention relates generally to an apparatus for providing a reciprocating action on a bucket of a backhoe or the like.
Frequently in the construction industry it is required that the machinery associated with and deployed upon a construction site be utilized to some extent beyond the power rating of the machinery. When this occurs, breakdown of the machinery or premature wear can occur, in which the hydraulic motor associated with the power unit can be overloaded and bogged down or alternatively, hydraulic lines associated therewith can break.
Since in many instances, the power rating of construction equipment determines the severity of jobs for which the machine is eligible, it stands to reason that construction devices which have been augmented to provide a greater work output when compared with comparably dimensioned machines provides a substantial advantage in the field.
The following citations reflect the state of the art of which applicant is aware insofar as these citations appear germane to the process at hand.
U.S. Pat. No. Re. 206,663, Cameron PA1 U.S. Pat. No. 954,758, Naylor PA1 U.S. Pat. No. 1,632,345, Muelhause PA1 U.S. Pat. No. 3,238,646, Odenburg PA1 U.S. Pat. No. 3,328,904, Voight et al PA1 U.S. Pat. No. 3,410,352, Tharp PA1 U.S. Pat. No. 3,628,265, Galis PA1 U.S. Pat. No. 3,762,481, Allen et al PA1 U.S. Pat. No. 3,952,810, Ulrich PA1 U.S. Pat. No. 4,102,402, Steinberg PA1 U.S. Pat. No. 4,082,149, Grobey PA1 U.S. Pat. No. 4,098,344, Johnson
The patent to Voight et al teaches the use of a powered bucket and includes a means for having the bucket teeth 14, 16, 18 and 20 move in a geneally reciprocating manner and therefore includes a drive motor 28 adapted to drive the teeth by virtue of a chain mechanism. FIG. 3 shows a sectional view of one of the eccentrics 39 which provides the receiprocation of the teeth. As is clearly illustrated in the drawings, the mechanisms providing reciprocating vibratory motion of the bucket teeth do so at the expense of the available space within the bucket, thereby reducing its payload, although it does appear to allow greater forces to be applied through the powered bucket itself.
Similarly, Odenburg teaches the use of a motorized bucket in which the vibrating blade includes a roller bearing assembly 22 pivotally mounted on a strap portion of a lever 23 on an eccentric. A stub shaft 24 pivotally mounts a pair of arms 25 of a bellcrank assembly 16 disposed on lever 23. Thus, motion of shaft 18 provides a blade which vibrates. It would appear that the Odenburg structure is limited to providing the cutting edge to vibrate exclusive of the remainder of the bucket, and while this may have value when loading the bucket by gouging into hard-packed clay or the like, it does nothing to help remove the densely packed clay or other material from the bucket when the bucket is to be emptied.
The remaining citations show the state of the art further.
Thus, while it is clear that the use of motorized buckets having vibrator blades actuated in part by cams is known, the prior art listed and discussed herein above are limited by engineering difficulties to which the instant application provides beneficial response.
More particularly, while the prior art exemplifies techniques which either cause a portion of the bucket and more particularly the working or cutting edge to vibrate, it only does so at the expense of available payload capability of the motorized bucket, particularly when contrasted with the instant invention.
Thus, a long felt but heretofor unsatisfied need exists for providing a device as defined by the instant application which allows the entire motorized bucket to vibrate at a rapid rate and effect the efficiency of the bucket whether the motorized bucket is to be used for loading or unloading material or for scraping.
Such distinctions are possible by the structure of the reciprocating backhoe bucket according the instant application wherein there has been provided a device adapted to be included on backhoe buckets originating from a plurality of manufacturers which require no modification of the conventional support structure by which the reciprocating backhoe bucket has been traditionally supported, most particularly by a dipper stick and an associated bucket curl cylinder, both the stick and cylinder provided and adapted to engage both of two bucket brackets which carry and support the bucket itself. Appropriate connecting links extend from the bucket curl cylinder to each of the bucket brackets and defines a space therebetween which supports the housing of the instant application within which there is disposed a hydraulic motor suitably adapted to run from a conventional hydraulic power instrumentality commonly found on backhoe machines as is known in the prior art, the hydraulic motor cooperating through a train of gears to cause rotation of a shaft which extends between the connecting links to the bucket brackets and rotatably supports the bucket brackets thereon. The shaft is suitably contoured so that the area of support between the shaft and the bucket bracket experiences an oscillating motion by virtue of cam portions disposed on extremities of the associated shaft whereby the bucket brackets and the supported bucket oscillate about the shaft.